U.S. water utilities have known about the prevalence of a likely carcinogen in water sources for seven years and have failed to share that information with the public, according to an advocacy group, which released today a 2004 industry study of hexavalent chromium.

While most people assume that well water is clean and safe, a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that one out of every five wells providing public drinking water contains at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern. The USGS sampled 932 public wells across the country for the study.

The threat to watersheds from fire-prone dying forests is growing so severe that federal forest managers are seeking help from water utilities, ski resorts and others in ravaged Western states. "The federal government doesn't have enough resources to deal with this," said Harris Sherman, the U.S.

The grim economy is hitting some consumers in the wallet in yet another way: their water bills. Many water utilities are raising rates because water use is down, in part because manufacturers have closed or are cutting back, tourism has fallen and the real estate market is in the doldrums. This is happening most everywhere.

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a new national strategy to enforce safe drinking water laws in small, rural communities on Tuesday and pledged to redouble efforts to protect children from toxic water in schools.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new national water regulations yesterday that it said will help reduce lead in drinking water, keep utilities honest in testing for lead and warn the public when water poses a health risk. The revised drinking water rules require that water utilities notify customers as soon as they find high lead levels in water.

This conference is for mid-level staff of energy and water utilities serving Colorado and neighboring states and trade allies responsible for development and implementation of customer programs. For more information and/or to register visit the Colorado Utilities Exchange website.